27 February 2015

Labinal Power Systems Morocco (subsidiary of the Safran Group) has celebrated the 10th anniversary of its site at Aïn Atiq in Temara with an annual growth of 30% and 1.300 employees.

Safran CEO Jean Paul Herteman visited the Aïn Atiq site that currently is one of the most important factories for aeronautical wiring-manufacturing in the world.

"The social climate that prevails and energy that emanates leave me speechless," said Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Minister of industry who took part in the ceremony.

Labinal Morocco has successively hosted the transfers of production of wiring systems and electrical furniture of the Airbus programs like A320, the A330 and the A400M, which had been originally developed in France.

The A350 wiring have been the first electric wiring system workpackage that has been industrialized in Labinal Morocco. Patrick Gaillard, Managing Director of Labinal-Morocco, noted that “the A350 wiring have been manufactured in Morocco with Moroccan managers and staff.”

“Morocco is our 4th country in the world after France, United States and Mexico” said Jean-Paul Herteman, Safran CEO. “Our growth targets for Morocco site are of around 5% every year. We will open a new plant in Casablanca in the coming weeks, specializing in brain mechanisms for flight control, which is something highly technological.”

“We are also investing in the training because our requirements of employees are important. We are very pleased with the quality of our employees both engineers and operators.”

The site employs 1.300 people, including 91% women, more than half are graduates of higher education.

24 February 2015

Ducommun Incorporated has reported that it has been awarded its first direct contract from Airbus for the A350 XWB wide-body aircraft.

Ducommun will provide titanium components for titanium assemblies that will be installed on the aft fuselage section of the jet.

The components are already in production at Ducommun’s Coxsackie, N.Y. operations center, which specializes in forming technology for shaping titanium, steel and other hard metals for challenging aerospace requirements.

“This new contract establishes the baseline for Ducommun to continue expanding its support of Airbus in North America” said Anthony J. Reardon, chairman and chief executive officer.

Based on the press release “Ducommun Awarded First Direct Contract on Airbus A350 XWB”

23 February 2015

Rolls-Royce will flight-test later this year a Trent XWB-97 engine fitted with what it claims is the largest component ever built using additive layer manufacturing (ALM).

The titanium structure is a 1.5m-diameter and 0.5m-thick front bearing housing containing 48 aerofoils, manufactured using the ALM technique, also known as 3D printing.

The UK propulsion giant has already ground-tested several XWB-97s – the sole engine for the in-development Airbus A350-1000 – containing the tractor-tyre-sized part, but no engine including such a large ALM component has ever powered an aircraft in flight, said Rolls-Royce.

Although production XWB-97s will not contain the ALM component – at least not initially – the Derby-based company says the project is a key step towards proving the industrial viability of the process, which it says could trim 30% from "like-for-like manufacturing lead time".

"It is ideal for prototyping. Shortening the manufacturing time by almost a third gives us more time to design, which is always a benefit," said Alan Newby, chief engineer for future programs and technology. "We are also able to produce designs that we wouldn't otherwise be able to do."

Rolls-Royce is not new to ALM – a technique by which metal powder is melted by electron beam and built ultra-thin layer by layer into complex shapes – having used it to repair components for at least five years. "We are using this knowledge now to build up to bigger components," said Newby.

All pictures Source: VadeAviones.com

Based on the article “Rolls-Royce to fly Trent XWB with largest-ever 3D-printed part” published in FlightGlobal.

21 February 2015

Airbus Group Innovations’ structural health engineering capabilities have been deployed in coordination with Airbus and TESTIA to prepare an easy-to-use, non-destructive testing (NDT) device in support of the A350 XWB’s commercial service entry.

The Line Tool – developed with Airbus Group Innovations’ “smart NDT” expertise – provides a straightforward “go” or “no-go” decision for airline maintenance personnel in the event of an impact to a composite component.

“When exposed to impacts, composite materials are subject to delamination – the loss of cohesion between constitutive layers – which can cause a significant reduction in mechanical strength with surface indications barely visible,” explained Sébastien Rolet, Head of Airbus Group Innovations’ Structure Health Engineering Department. “In support of the A350 XWB’s entry into service, Airbus identified a need for efficient testing of areas on the aircraft that are potentially exposed to impacts, such as the fuselage skin near doors for loading passengers, baggage or cargo.”

Once the possible-impact area identified, water is sprayed onto the area of the aircraft to be inspected. Water acts as a coupling medium to ensure the efficient transfer of ultrasound waves from the sensor to the test material and back. Finally, the Line Tool’s wheel probe is rolled over the composite section to be inspected, sending ultrasound waves through the material.

The Line Tool interprets ultrasonic signals to determine both the reliability of the diagnosis and the presence (red) or absence of delamination. In case a red “no-go” signal, further assessment from a certified NDT expert is required to study the delamination.

Able to be operated by airline maintenance personnel, this innovative non-destructive testing device saves time and money compared to previous non-destructive testing protocols that required a certified expert.

“After a successful development phase, the first production units were assembled in late 2014. Airlines already have had the opportunity to test our prototype, and they were very impressed with its ease-of-use and the speed with which it can deliver a diagnosis,” added Sébastien Rolet.

Based on the press release “Airbus Group Innovations’ expertise supports development of a non-destructive testing tool for the A350 XWB”

20 February 2015

The A350 MSN2, one of Airbus’ five A350 XWB test aircraft, landed on 19/Feb at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport for first time to demonstrate its all new features to Iberia, the Madrid airport authorities and the media.

Click on the picture to watch a video (in Spanish)

Iberia has eight A350-900s on order.

Source: Javier de Gonzalo

Source: Ricardo Sanabria

Source: Iberia

Source: Alberto Casado

Source: EFE

Source: EFE

Source: Alberto Casado

Based on the press release "Airbus A350 XWB makes its début at Madrid-Barajas airport"

19 February 2015

Qatar Airways will showcase its A350 XWB business-class seat at the ITB Berlin to be held between 4-8/March.

Qatar Airways said it is participating at the exhibition for the 7th consecutive year.

On the first day of the event, a press conference hosted by Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar al-Baker will be held to discuss the airline’s participation in the fair and to make a series of updates its A350 XWB aircraft service.

“We are pleased to be at ITB yet again this year, sharing the airline’s latest updates,” said al-Baker.

“By adding the world’s only A350 XWB to our fleet, we have shown our commitment to bringing Qatar Airways’ passengers the latest technology and comfort in the skies.”

He noted that Qatar Airways will have 5 A350 XWB aircraft in service by the end of 2015.

ITB Berlin -first launched in 1966- has become the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show with the participation of over 180 countries.

Based on the article “QA to showcase A380 and A350 XWB business class seats at ITB Berlin event” published in Gulf Times

18 February 2015

Korea Aerospace Industries has received from Airbus the Design Approval Authority (AP1020) delegation over the wing ribs for the A350-900.

This is the first time such rights are granted to an Asian aircraft parts supplier.

Source: Airbus

The rights give KAI a broad degree of autonomy in relation to the design, testing, and certification on the A350X wing rib structure.

The company will apply the rights to the ongoing wing rib development of the A350-1000 aircraft and expects to cut design time and cost.

Source: Airbus

The wing ribs are exclusively produced at the "A350 Factory", located at the headquarters in Sacheon, Gyeongnam Province. The factory was completed in 2010 to build the automation production lines 100%.

Bruno Hernandez Airbus Wing-Ribs Program Manager said KAI has excellent processes and the capabilities of its management team is "impressive".

Based on the article "KAI obtains A350 wing rib design rights" published in Flightglobal.